A Snake in the Common Room
by poetanddidntknowit34
Summary: Scorpius and Albus have been friends since first year, but there's more to their friendship. Albus/Scorpius
1. Chapter 1

Albus Severus Potter was shifting nervously amongst the other first years in the corridor. They were waiting to be sorted and Albus was still afraid that he wasn't going to be in Gryffindor like his dad, his mum, and his older brother. He just fiddled with the black tie around his neck in order to try and to divert his thoughts away from what lay ahead of him. Albus was so focused on his tie that he didn't notice the person next to him was talking to him.

That is, he didn't notice until the kid poked him on the side of the head, "Oi! Are you deaf?"

Albus looked up. An eleven year-old boy with white-blond hair, pointed features, and ash-grey eyes was staring at him expectantly, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said my name is Scorpius Malfoy. What's your name?" Scorpius smiled at Albus.

"Albus Potter." Albus stuck his hand out to shake Scorpius's.

Scorpius grabbed the out-stretched hand and shook it vigorously, "Hey! Our dad's work together at the Ministry! My dad is Draco Malfoy." Scorpius swelled with pride when he spoke of his dad. Albus didn't know why, from the stories he'd heard from his dad, he wouldn't have much pride, but Albus decided not to mention this, "What House do you think you'll get?" Scorpius asked eagerly.

Albus swallowed hard; this was what he'd been trying to avoid, "Um, I don't know. The rest of my family has been in Gryffindor."

Scorpius stood confident as he said, "I'm probably going to be in Slytherin like my father."

"My brother would probably beat me up if I was in Slytherin." Albus said solemnly.

Scorpius laughed slightly and said, "He says that, but I doubt he means it. Inter-house family relations work just fine most of the time."

Then the Transfiguration teacher, Professor Hermoine Weasley, called the students forward out of the corridor and into the Great Hall. She lined the shaking first-years up in an orderly line, and then she went forward and set a tattered, old hat on a stool. The hat began to sing a song about the bravery of Gryffindors, the loyalty of Huffelpuffs, the cunning of Slytherins, and the intelligence of Ravenclaws, and once it was finished, Professor Weasley unrolled a piece of parchment and called out, "Ambrose, Hailey."

Hailey was a small brunette who was sorted into Ravenclaw and several more Ravenclaws, a few random Huffelpuffs, a couple Gryffindors, and two Slytherins were sorted, before Mrs. Weasley called, "Malfoy, Scorpius". Scorpius strolled confidently forward and seated himself on the stool.

The Sorting Hat had barely touched his head before it yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!"

Professor Weasley kept going down the line of first-years until she finally called, "Potter, Albus."

James Sirius Potter cat-called at the mention of his brother and Albus turned red as he walked to the stool. He sat down and the Sorting Hat slid over his eyes, "_Hmmm… Tricky. You desperately wish to cling to your family legacy, but you're very loyal, more intelligent than you wish to admit, and you have such ambition. A lot of ambition."_ The Sorting Hat thought for a moment before saying, "_Trust me,"_ Then yelled out to the crowd, "SLYTHERIN!"

The Slytherin table cheered and James started a round of 'boo's from the Gryffindor table, before yelling out, "RECOUNT!"

Albus stared at his feet, disappointed as he walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Scorpius. Scorpius clapped him on the back in a comforting way and said, "Looks like you and I are going to be spending more time with each other." Scorpius smiled big at Albus, and then got quiet again when Albus shot him a down-trodden look.

The sorting finished and the feast began. Albus was starting to cheer up while Scorpius told him jokes and the other Slytherins told funny stories about their summers. But once the feast had ended, and the first year Slytherins were making their way back to their dorm rooms, Albus became sad again, "I just really wanted to be in Gryffindor. Just like my dad and his dad and his dad. Pretty much all the Potters have been Gryffindor."

"Cheer up!" Scorpius said, light-heartedly, "Houses run in families like hair color. You get all these brunettes, then a random red-head shows up and you wonder where the heck THAT came from. But it doesn't mean you love the red-headed kid any less then the brunette kids. The same principal applies here. I doubt your dad will love you any less now that you're in Slytherin."

"You're right!" Albus said, perking up. He unpacked his trunk and claimed the bed next to Scorpius. All the boys got into their PJs and settled in for the night. Albus was happier now that he was starting to make a friend and he figured his time in Slytherin would be much more bearable with a friend in his same House. Albus smiled and pulled out a spare piece of parchment. He scribbled a quick note to his dad about his day on the train and the new friend that he'd made. Then he ended the note with the House he was in, sealed it, and sent it on its way with Draconis, Scorpius's jet black owl that he borrowed for this letter.

Scorpius and Albus stayed up late talking about the classes they were looking forward to most, the places in Hogwarts they wanted to visit, and the pranks they wanted to pull. They concluded that this was going to be a fun year, and then they both lay down and drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The boys' first meeting in year 1 had seemed forever ago when they saw each other again on the platform. Both were about to board the Hogwarts Express to take them to their sixth year and both had grown into handsome young men since then. Scorpius was tall and lean, and had developed a strong frame and a firm jaw. His white blond hair hung loose in his ash-grey eyes and his all black suit emphasized the fact that he came from wealth.

Albus was tall and thin as well, and he was quick on his feet from all his previous years running from James after doing something to annoy him. His messy black hair stuck up in odd directions and his emerald green eyes shown with excitement when he saw his best friend.

Scorpius was letting his father adjust his tie when Albus came bounding up to them, "Hey Scorp! Hi, Mr. Malfoy." Albus said.

"Hello, Albus." Draco Malfoy smiled down at the boy who'd spent so much time at the Manor over the last 5 years, "How was your summer?"

"It was great! And thanks again for taking us to Venice! I had a lot of fun." Albus smiled.

"It was my pleasure." Draco smiled back at the 16 year-old.

"Where's your dad?" Scorpius asked. He really liked Albus's dad; he thought he was neat.

"Speak of the devil!" Draco cried as Harry Potter walked up to join the conversation, "Hey Harry." He said casually and the two men shook hands. They had realized that they had things in common and their petty rivalry was put behind them once their sons had become friends. You wouldn't say the two men were as close as their sons, but they were friends enough to have their families get together once a month and have dinner.

"Hey Draco!" Harry said with a smile. Then he ruffled Scorpius's hair and said, "How was Venice, Scorpius?"

"It was great, Mr. Potter! We had so much fun." The two boys laughed and high-fived, remembering their antics in the foreign city, "And the big barbeque at your house was a lot of fun, too." Harry had held a barbeque with the Malfoys, the Weasleys, the Longbottoms, and, of course, his whole family, and all the families had fun laughing together, and the adults were able to reminisce and tell stories of their Hogwarts days to the kids. It had been an altogether fun experience, once Ron had gotten over Draco's presence and Draco had stopped apologizing to Hermoine. She'd forgiven him after the first time, and then threatened to punch him again after the eighth time.

"I'm glad you had a good time. Albus," Harry turned to look at his son, "If I leave you here, you'll get on the train in time, right? I have to go make sure Lily is settled in. It's only her third year."

"I'll be fine, dad. And so will Lily. She's thirteen and capable of handling herself." Albus said, giving his dad a hug goodbye.

"I know, but I want to make sure." Harry pulled out the hug, "Be good; I'm tired of receiving letters from Headmistress McGonagall and from Aunt Hermoine that you and Scorpius are being rambunctious."

"We'll be good Mr. Potter," Scorpius said, smiling.

"I wish I could believe that," Draco said, ruffling his son's hair and finishing up fixing Scorpius's tie, "You two are too much like your fathers. Granted, we caused more trouble against each other than together, but we still ended up in detention more times than either of us could count."

Harry laughed, "Of course, I would've landed in detention more often if I hadn't had my Invisibility Cloak."

"It's comments like that that make me wish I had been friends with you in school." Draco nudged Harry.

Harry just shrugged and said, "See you at work tomorrow, Draco. Nice to see you Scorpius, and remember to be good, both of you." Harry waved and went to find his wife and daughter.

"Hey, Al, watch this!" Scorpius exclaimed; pulling free from his dad's perfecting hands. Draco just sighed and gave up; turning to talk to another Ministry colleague. Scorpius set his jet black owl, Draconis's cage on the ground and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at the cage and said, "Coloronis Exime!"

Albus watched in wonder as the black owl turned electric blue, "Whoa! That's so cool!"

Scorpius turned Draconis back to his initial black color, and then turned to Albus with a sneaky smile, "Now watch this." Scorpius pointed his wand at his father, who was starting to make his way back over to the two best friends. Scorpius whispered the spell and Draco Malfoy's hair turned from elegant white-blond, to a brilliant hot pink.

Albus Severus and Scorpius Hyperion were doubled over, trying to suppress their laughter as Draco stopped in front of them, confused, "What's so funny, you two?"

"Uh, nothing, dad." Scorpius said, still trying not to laugh.

The witches and wizards strolling along the platform were staring at Draco as they passed, and those who knew him tried not to laugh. Draco, confused as he was, just said, "Let's get you on the train, before you miss it."

Then he helped the two 16 year-olds load their trunks onto the Hogwarts Express. Harry Potter came over to wave his son goodbye, but he stopped short at the sight of Draco. Harry stood there, shocked, before he doubled over in laughter, "Draco!" He said through his laughter, "What the bloody hell happened to your hair?"

"What do you mean 'what happened to my hair'?" Draco scrambled around, looking for a reflective surface. When he found one, he let out a yell of surprise, "PINK?" Draco gaped at his appearance.

Scorpius and Albus fell over onto the floor of their compartment, holding their sides and laughing until their faces turned blue. The Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, leaving the still-laughing Harry and the pink-haired, red-faced Draco yelling at Scorpius behind in its dust.

Albus finally caught his breath and looked at his best friend through the messy black hair that'd fallen in his eyes, "That was the best, Scorp!"

"Oh yes!" Scorpius flashed his pearly smile and rolled onto his back to catch his breath. Both the boys lay on the floor of the compartment, staring at the ceiling and smiling. Finally, Scorpius sat up and said, "Al, we're 16, almost done with school, and we're starting our N.E.W.T. year. I think this is going to be our best year yet."

"Agreed, Scorp." Albus sat up as well, "As long as we're together, we'll always have the best times!" He nudged his friend.

"Well, well, well," A jeering voice came from behind them. Both boys turned to see 7th year James Sirius Potter smirking at them from the door to their compartment, "Isn't this cute?"

"What do you want, James?" Albus rolled his eyes and stood up. James teased him non-stop about being in Slytherin and being friends with Scorpius.

"Oh nothing… Just an invitation to your guys' wedding!" James and his buddies laughed cruelly.

Albus turned red with anger, "Shut up, James!" He yelled, balling his fists in rage.

Scorpius put a hand on Albus's shoulder and said coolly, "It's OK, Al. James is just jerk because he's compensating for a certain 'small body part'." Scorpius smirked in the way only a Malfoy could do.

James blanched. He stammered a bit, then turned red and said, "Whatever, let's go." And he turned and left, taking his friends with him.

"Quick thinking, Scorp!" Albus high-fived Scorpius and they bother sat down to finish their train ride with jokes and laughter and plans for all the pranks they were going to pull.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jeez, Albus! You're so loud!" Scorpius hissed through the dark, "Do you want to get us caught?"

"Sorry," Albus whispered, "It's dark and I didn't see the loose tile. And I'm fine, thanks for your concern." The two boys were stealing through the shadows of the castle at around one in the morning, trying to get from the Slytherin dorms to the Gryffindor tower without being caught. They were on their way to meet Peeves for their first prank of the year and boy, was it going to be big. It had been Scorpius's idea to team up with the poltergeist, and, just as expected, he didn't disappoint them.

"Well, c'mon, before we're late!" Scorpius leapt over the patch of moonlight on the floor with grace only a Malfoy could possess. He'd gone to finishing school early in life because if you wanted to talk the Malfoy talk, you had to walk the Malfoy walk. Every man in the previous generations of Malfoys had gone to finishing school; everyone, except Draco. He'd never needed it. Why? Because his mother, Narcissa, was a walking etiquette book. Anytime Draco started to slouch, he'd receive a slap with the ruler. Astoria chose to just let the nuns at St. Shriver's Finishing School do all the ruler slapping, rather than do it herself when it came time to teach Scorpius his Ps and Qs.

Albus tried to jump the span as well, but the windows at Hogwarts were so large, that he landed right in the middle of the stream of moonlight. Scorpius just shook his head, "You'd make a terrible Auror."

"Well, good thing I want to be a teacher." Albus whispered as he hurried along behind his friend, not even bothering to try to jump the lit patches.

"I'm not even going to try to understand why you'd want to do that." Scorpius just rolled his eyes, then hushed Albus and picked up his pace.

Albus watched as Scorpius leapt through the moonlight again; his white blond hair and pale skin glinted and shone in the eerie light. His muscles tensed and relaxed as he sprung and landed, sprung and landed. He reminded Albus of a jungle cat. Finally, the two had arrived in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady that was the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Peeves was floating upside down next to the painting, and he up righted once he saw the two boys, "Ready then?" Peeves said, and he slid through the wall and opened the portrait from the inside.

The two teenagers smiled to each other, then pulled out the items they'd brought with them. There were packages of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes fireworks, everlasting spray paint, and, of course, toilet paper. Albus was snickering wickedly as he crawled through the portrait hole and began to toss the toilet paper up and over the rafters.

Within three minutes, there was toilet paper everywhere, a box of fireworks rigged to explode when the first Gryffindor boy stepped on the final stair to their dorms, and 'Slytherins Rule, Gryffindors Suck!' written in shiny green everlasting spray paint on two of the common room walls.

The two pranksters ran as if their pajamas were on fire back to their dorm room and collapsed in spasms of laughter onto Scorpius's bed. "We are going to be in sooo much trouble later!" Albus said through his giggles.

"Why? They won't know it was us specifically."

"Trust me, Aunt Hermoine will. She knows us too well!"

Scorpius considered this for a moment, then said, "You're right, we're dead." Both of them started to laugh again, before they curled up in their beds and went to sleep.

The next morning, the Slytherins had hardly made it to breakfast, before they were attacked by the Gryffindors. Wands drawn, both sides started casting spell after spell at each other. Bat Bogey Hexes, Jelly Legs Jinxes, and even some Immobulus Charms, were flying in every direction. Scorpius grabbed onto Albus's robes and pulled him down to the ground, "C'mon, let's get off the battleground. We're facing suspension as it is; let's not get a few curses in the face to match."

"Good idea," Albus said, and they army crawled out of the mess and into the Great Hall. As soon as they were clear of the action, Headmistress McGonagall broke up the action, yelling for silence.

"What is going on here?" The Headmistress yelled over the ruckus.

"The Slytherins pranked our dorm!" A Gryffindor 7th year exclaimed, and then proceeded to explain everything about the prank they'd woken up too.

"We had no idea that'd happened!" A fourth year Slytherin argued back.

"But it was kind of awesome." A fifth year girl exclaimed, causing all the Slytherins to high-five each other and talk excitedly.

"Since we don't know who the culprits are, 50 points from Slytherin." Headmistress McGonagall said, causing the Gryffindors to smile smugly, "And 25 points from Gryffindor for fighting in the halls." The Gryffindors stopped smiling. No one wanted to argue, so everyone just walked to the Great Hall in silence.

Scorpius and Albus were trying not to laugh when Professor Weasley stalked up to them, "I know it was you too. This has your fingerprints, and your genetics, all over it."

"Sorry, Aunt Hermoine." Albus said innocently, "But like you said, it's in our blood."

Scorpius smiled widely, but his smile faded when Hermoine said, "I know, and that's why I'm writing to your 'blood' right now. I'm not ratting you out to the Headmistress, but I hope you fathers at least instill some fear in you. Otherwise, you'll be the downfall of your generation." She stormed off in a huff.

"I can see it now, 'there goes the Ministry'! Centuries of Wizard tradition, destroyed by two 16 year-olds." Scorpius flipped his shaggy hair.

Albus just walked solemnly into the Great Hall. Three weeks into school and he was already causing battles in the school hallway; his dad wouldn't be very pleased.

And sure enough, that evening at dinner, both boys received a letter from their dads. Scorpius opened his, read the contents and laughed so hard, he fell off his chair. Then, he handed the parchment to Albus. Mr. Malfoy's handwriting was slanting and regal and the letter was written in glittering green ink.

_Scorpius,_

_Mrs. Weasley wrote to me this morning and told me about your late night shenanigans. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. Why didn't I think of that while I was in school? And starting an inter-house riot in the Grand Entryway? That was brilliant! You and Albus are definitely going to do as Hermoine says and be the death of you generation. I, however, am impressed. Your mother, not so much. She wasn't pleased that I was laughing, either. But, she left the punishment to me, so no broccoli for a month. And I give myself the same punishment for laughing. Well, write to me soon, try to keep out of trouble (I know you won't, but write to me BEFORE you do next time, so I'm not as shocked), and study harder; I haven't forgotten your grades from last year._

_-Draco Malfoy_

Albus started laughing too and he handed the letter back to Scorpius, who was already writing a response to his dad. Then, getting nervous again, Albus tore open the letter from his dad.

_Albus,_

_I got an interesting letter from your Aunt Hermoine this morning. Apparently you and Scorpius blew up the Gryffindor common room. Now, speaking as James's father and as a former Gryffindor, that wasn't funny. But, speaking as your father and a former detention-junkie, I must admit how funny that was. So, as a conflicted father, I'm just going to look the other way about this one. No one got hurt, so I'll let it slid (just don't tell your mother). Have fun and remember, I love you!_

_-Harry Potter_

Albus smiled and handed the letter to Scorpius. He didn't know why he had been so worried. His dad wasn't mad; his dad rarely got mad. But still, he was always worried about disappointing him. Scorpius smiled and gave the letter back. Then he sent his reply to his father and the two began plotting their next prank.


	4. Chapter 4

Mid October came fast, and so did the first Quidditch game of the season. Albus had woken up nervous, and had worked himself up more and more as the morning progressed. He was sick to his stomach at breakfast and refused to eat a bite, and finally, Scorpius said something to him, "Dude, what's your problem?"

"I'm always nervous for the first Gryffindor/Slytherin game." Albus stared at his food with a queasy look on his face.

"Yeah, I know, but you seem more worked up this year than last year." Scorpius put his fork down and faced his friend.

"My parents are coming to the game and I don't want to disappoint them. I mean, yeah, I've been on the team for the past 4 years, but this is the first game they've attended where I have to play James. They normally avoid the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor ones."

"Albus, you're the best Seeker I've ever seen, and if your dad isn't proud of you, I am."

Albus raised an eyebrow at Scorpius. Normally, he wasn't that sentimental, "That was cheesy."

Scorpius laughed and Albus lightened up before he said, "Lily can't fly nearly as fast as me and James will have to try really hard to hit me with a bludger; he hasn't made contact with me yet. And trust me, I know he's tried." Albus got his appetite back and started shoveling sausages in his mouth. His mother told him he'd inherited the appetite of his Uncle Ron and ability to grow like a bean stalk, just like his father.

"Why does James hate you so much?" Scorpius picked his fork back up and started back into his eggs.

"He says it's because I'm a Slytherin, but I think it's just because I look like Dad. James looks like a Weasley and I look like a Potter; he's always hated that I get more attention because I look like the Boy-Who-Lived. Also, now that I think about it, James blames me for Lily's whole 'Mistress-of-Darkness' look. He says it's because she wants to be like her Slytherin brother. I say she just wants to be a rebel." This past summer, Lily Potter had dyed her flaming red hair black and she had revamped her clothing to be all black. Their mother had had a fit when Lily came home after dying her hair. Mrs. Potter locked herself in her room and cried for a few days, before accepting it as a phase and moving on.

Scorpius glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Lily's jet-black hair gleamed under the sun from the ceiling of the Great Hall and her think black eyeliner made her face look sunken in, "I kinda like the look. She looks like she's expressing herself. I especially like the new lip piercing."

Albus choked on his eggs, "Her what?" He turned to look at his baby sister, and sure enough, she had a hoop looped around her lower lip, "When did she do that?"

"Well, it wasn't there a few days ago, so I'd say recently." Scorpius said casually.

"Mom's not going to like that." Albus went back to eating.

After they'd finished their breakfast, Albus and Scorpius walked down to the Quidditch pitch to get dressed for the mid-morning match. Albus pulled on his Seeker robes and stuffed his school robes in the locker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scorpius pull his school robes off. Albus couldn't help but notice how fit Scorpius was. His muscles flexed and relaxed as Scorpius folded his robes and pulled his Chaser ones out of his locker. Albus's eyes moved from his shoulders to his chest, and down to his abs. The pale skin of his best friend was glowing in the dim light of the locker room and his white-blond hair stood out prominently. Albus tore himself away. What was wrong with him? He just shook it off and went back to preparing his 2,000 Firebolt for the match.

The sun was out and there was only a light breeze; perfect weather for a match. The Gryffindor team took off and soared around the pitch; Lily's black hair whipped around her in furious lashes, while James's short auburn hair barely moved. The Slytherin team took off as well and chased the Gryffindor team around the pitch to get the crowd pumped-up. From the parent section, a pair of emerald eyes was watching the two teams circle. Harry Potter waved as each of his children sailed past him. Ginny Potter waved enthusiastically as Albus and James streaked by, but when Lily stopped to wave back, Ginny's smile faded. She saw the lip ring on her daughter and she didn't even try to hide her shock or disapproval.

Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and referee for the match, tossed the Quaffel into the air. Both teams kicked off the ground and were soaring through the air. Scorpius grabbed the Quaffel with ease and began streaking towards the other side of the pitch. Albus floated above everyone else; a trick he'd learned from his dad. He watched as Scorpius scored goal after goal after goal. He effortlessly avoided all the bludgers hit at him by James and the other Gryffindor Beater, and he left all the other Chasers in his dust.

Lily was circling across the pitch from Albus; both were looking for the snitch. Slytherin was leading 60 to 10 when Albus saw a tiny speck of gold hovering just inches above his father's head. Harry hadn't noticed it yet, and Albus smirked as he thought about the look on his dad's face when he swooped in and caught the snitch. Albus swung into a head-long dive directed at the parent's section. Once the adults noticed that there was a sixteen year-old racing right at them, they started to panic slightly. Wives grabbed onto their husbands, and husbands tried to locate what Albus's objective was.

Harry's eyes widened as his son came hurtling right at him and Ginny let out a terrified little screech. Albus pulled up at the last second, grabbing the snitch right out of the air above Harry's head and swerving back out to land on the field. He held the snitch high in the air and the Slytherin crowd roared with excitement as the announcer yelled, "And Albus Potter has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins!"

Albus smiled big, the snitch still held up for all to see. Out of nowhere, a bludger hit him right on the wrist. A sickening crunch sounded from his wrist and Albus dropped to the ground, clutching his injured hand. Madam hooch sounded her whistle and yelled, "JAMES POTTER! 20 points from Gryffindor for unsportsmanlike conduct and detention tomorrow evening."

Scorpius landed beside Albus at the same time Harry had reached him, "Al, are you OK?" Harry asked as he took his son's wrist and started to examine it. James touched down near-by, fuming with rage, "James Sirius Potter, you have no idea how disappointed I am in you! You could've killed your brother." Harry stood as he confronted his son.

Ginny put a hand on her husband's shoulder, "Harry, the school will handle it. No use in making a scene."

Harry nodded and calmed down; James just stalked back up to the castle. Scorpius helped his friend to his feet, "I'll take him up to see Madam Pomfrey, Mr. Potter."

"Good idea, Scorpius." Harry nodded and Scorpius guided Albus up to the castle; Rose Weasley following close behind to make sure her cousin was OK.

When the three had reached the Hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was waiting for them. She got Albus settled into a bed and began to cast spells and enchantments to fix his wrist. It was a rather painful experience and Albus began to squirm in discomfort. Once his wrist was fully repaired, Madam Pomfrey gave him an herbal remedy to kill the pain, "It'll make you sleepy, though. So just take a nap here and you should feel better once you wake up."

Madam Pomfrey left and Albus laid his head back on the pillow. Scorpius sat next to him and told story after story of the action he missed while he was searching for the snitch, and told his view of Albus's spectacular dive. Rosie told the crowd's perspective on the match too and Albus drifted off to sleep listening to the stories.

When Albus awoke, he could tell he hadn't been sleeping for very long. Scorpius and Rosie were still chattering away about the Quidditch match and the pain in his wrist was completely gone. He opened his eyes only slightly to see Scorpius and Rose sitting at his bedside, talking to each other, "Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is," Rosie blushed, "You were brilliant out there."

"Thanks!" Scorpius beamed, "It's all about practice. I practice all summer long, in order to keep in shape."

Rosie brushed a lock of hair from Scorpius's face, leaning in closer she breathed, "It shows." Then, she kissed him. Scorpius wound his fingers into her hair and kissed her back.

Albus closed his eyes and turned away from them. The pain in his wrist was gone, but a pain in his chest grew until it numbed his whole body. He began to cry. And Albus couldn't figure out why.


	5. Chapter 5

"OK, students, settle down," Headmistress McGonagall yelled over the Monday night dinner chatter. Once everyone had gotten quiet, she said, "Don't forget that Saturday is Halloween and the annual Halloween dance as well. So, find a date, find a dress or dress robe, and remember to keep it clean, cool, and classy."

The whole Hall erupted with excited chatter. Boys were eagerly scanning the crowd, looking for potential girls, and the girls were primping their hair and giggling amongst themselves. Eight boys instantly stood up and started fighting over a seat next to Lily Potter and Lily just tossed her ebony hair and teased each boy separately. Scorpius just nudged Albus and winked, "Saturday is going to be a good night." Then he looked over the heads of the crowd and caught the eye of Rose Weasley. He gave her a sly wink and she blushed and looked away.

Suddenly, Albus was furious. He couldn't figure out why, but he suddenly gripped his fork so hard, that it bent under all the pressure, "Dude?" Scorpius said, "What's wrong?" Scorpius gestured to the mutilated fork in Albus's hand.

Albus had nothing to say, so he just stood up and stormed out of the hall. He ignored Scorpius's calls for him to slow down and talk to him all the way back to the dorm room, before Scorpius grabbed him by the elbow and whirled him around, "Let me go, _Scorpius_." Albus spit his best friend's name out with so much venom, that it even surprised him.

Scorpius recoiled from the harshness in Albus's voice, "What's wrong?" He half-whispered.

Albus sighed and sat down on Scorpius's bed, "I guess I just got angry over seeing all those guys fawn over Lily." He was lying through his teeth.

Scorpius just rolled his eyes and sat down next to Albus. He draped an arm over his best friend and Albus felt as if he'd just been electrocuted, "Let it go, man. She's a teenager; she can take care of herself. And besides, she's pretty. Guys are going to obsess over her and there's not a thing you can do about it."

Albus sighed, "I guess you're right."

"There's still something bugging you."

What was Albus supposed to say? That he didn't want Scorpius to go to the dance with Rose? That he was feeling electricity running through him because Scorpius's arm was around him? No. He couldn't. Scorpius would want to know what all that meant, and Albus wasn't even sure himself, "I just… I don't know who to ask."

"Itty bitty problem. I'll hook you up, promise." Scorpius said with a wink that made Albus's insides turn to jelly. Then he pushed Albus up off his bed and suggested that they get some sleep.

The whole week went by in a blur. Albus got angrier and angrier every time he saw Rose and Scorpius together, and Scorpius kept trying to set Albus up with girl after girl after girl. But Albus always found an excuse to turn them down. By the time they were getting ready for the dance on Saturday, Albus was still had no date.

"I still don't know what was wrong with Cassandra." Scorpius pointed out as he messed with his hair for the eighth time in five minutes.

"Not my type." Albus shrugged and fastened the buttons on his robe.

"Do you even have a type?" Scorpius asked, finally pleased with his appearance.

"Hmmm… Yes. Not Cassandra."

"Rude." Scorpius said and both boys laughed before going upstairs to the main level of Hogwarts, "Go on in, I'm going to go get Rosie."

Albus nodded curtly and went into the Great Hall. All the House tables were moved elsewhere and smaller round tables were surrounding a large wooden dance floor. There were Halloween decorations everywhere and an intricate web of black and orange streamers blocked the enchanted ceiling from sight. Albus, suddenly unhappy again, sat down, sullen and grumpy, in a chair around one of the tables. Couples slowly flooded in and started dancing, talking, and laughing. Lily was in the company of a lean brunette fourth year and she had her head on his shoulder as they swayed to the music.

Albus turned away from the sight of his little sister getting so close to a boy, and looked back at the couples filing in through the entrance. There were first years going with their friends because the opposite gender still had cooties, and seventh years who and been inseparable since they'd started dating. And, finally, there was Scorpius and Rose. Rose looked tall and slim in her shimmering gold dress and spilling curls. She was clutching hard to the pale blond who was her date. Albus had to look away. He had gotten the sudden urge to rip the auburn hair right out of Rosie's head.

The dance wore on and Albus stayed put in his chair, glaring at Rose the whole time. He had no idea why he was so mad at her all of a sudden, but he wanted to rip her dress to shreds and make her cry. Albus's rage grew and grew, until he couldn't stand it anymore. He looked up at Rose and Scorpius and they were smiling at each other like love-sick puppies. And next to them was Lily. And she was snogging her date. Albus had found the target of his rage.

He stood and crossed the dance floor, grabbing the fourth year gruffly, and yanking him away from Lily. He held the frightened boy by the front of his dress robes, "Get your hands off my sister." Albus hissed.

"Albus, what the heck has gotten into you?" Lily demanded; trying to pry Albus off her date.

"Albus, let the kid go!" Rose insisted.

"Shut up, you little bitch!" Albus yelled, and then spun on his heels and stalked out of the Great Hall.

He was halfway to the Slytherin common room before he was shoved from behind, "What the HELL is wrong with you?" Scorpius yelled; seething with rage.

"I'm angry!" Albus yelled, finally admitting it out loud.

"Well no shit, Sherlock!" Scorpius glared at Albus.

Albus glared back and the two were silent for a bit, until Scorpius finally relaxed and walked over to his friend, "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Albus nodded, "Then why don't you tell me the truth of what is really going on with you?" He rested a hand on Albus's shoulder.

Albus had the feeling of static shock again and his body decided to act without the consent of his mind. Albus leaned forward and kissed his best friend on the lips. The electricity that ran through him almost made him topple over.

Scorpius stepped back quickly. He looked at Albus in a horrified way, before he started to back up slowly. Then he turned and outright sprinted away; leaving Albus alone in the corridor.


	6. Chapter 6

Scorpius ran. He didn't know where he was going or when he was going to stop, all he knew is that he needed to get away. He ran and ran and ran until he found himself out on the grounds in front of the lake. He stopped and started tearing his dress robes off, not caring who saw him. It was getting close to after-hours, so the grounds were deserted anyways. When he was completely bare, he dove head-first into the blackness of the lake.

The water was chilly and Scorpius shivered once he surfaced. He didn't want to think, all he wanted to do was swim, so he swam lap after lap around the lake, the scene in the corridor playing over and over in his mind. Finally, he pulled himself back up onto the shore and collapsed in the grass, exhausted. It took him a few seconds before he realized he was fully exposed, before he pulled his pants back on.

Then he lay back in the grass and tried to sort through his thoughts. Why had Albus just kissed him? Was Albus gay? What did this mean for their friendship? Did Scorpius hurt Albus by running away? Did Scorpius like that Albus had kissed him? The last question made Scorpius's train of thought crash to a stand-still. Did he? No. No, he couldn't possibly. He had a girlfriend.

'But Rose's kisses are never that good.' An annoying voice in the back of Scorpius's head said.

"But Albus is a guy." Scorpius argued with himself.

'No, Albus is your best friend. The person you're closest too.' Scorpius didn't have a response to that. Sure, Albus was Scorpius's best friend. And sure, Albus knew everything there was to know about Scorpius. And sure, Scorpius loved spending time with Albus. But that didn't mean he was gay.

Scorpius's thoughts circled themselves for hours before he finally came to a consensus and went to bed. When he snuck into the dorm room, it was 2 AM and Albus was nowhere in sight. Scorpius decided not to trouble himself with it and get some sleep. If he was going to do some heartbreaking tomorrow, he needed his rest. He felt bad about it, but it had to be done, if Scorpius was going to sleep well at night.

Albus was walking through the corridor. He was miserable from the lack of sleep the night before. He had snuck into the Slytherin first year dorms and slept in an extra bed that night, not wanting to face Scorpius when he came back. Albus had cried himself to sleep that night. Not only had he realized that he had a crush on Scorpius, but he'd kissed him and gotten his heartbroken by him all in the same night. Albus had slept until noon that Sunday, but he still felt drained. He had decided to go to the library that afternoon to get lost in a book.

He was in an abandoned corridor near the library when, "ALBUS POTTER!" He whirled around to see Scorpius charging at him. Albus started to back up, his plan to avoid dealing with last night for at least a day was ruined. Scorpius stalked right up to Albus, knocked to books right out of his hands and pinned him against the wall. Before Albus had any time to react, Scorpius's lips were on his.

The tension in Albus's shoulders relaxed and he decided not to be confused, but to just go with it. The electricity through him made his knees weak, and if Scorpius hadn't have pulled away, Albus would've fallen over. Scorpius whispered in Albus's ear, his breath hot and sweet, "From now on, I get to be the leader in the relationship." Then he kissed him again.

Albus's knees turned to jelly and he fell down on the floor. Scorpius laughed, "Damn, I'm good."

Albus laughed too, "Scorp, I think we need to talk."

"Duh," Scorpius said and he sat down on the floor next to Albus, "First, I wanted to say I'm sorry about last night."

"What happened? Why'd you run away, then attack-kiss me just now?"

"I was confused. I liked that you kissed me, but I was scared that you did, too. I thought about it for a while, and then I realized that the more I thought about rejecting you, the more I wanted to cry. That's when I decided that I want to be with you and only you." Scorpius said sheepishly.

Albus smiled, "I'm sorry I caught you off guard like that. I didn't even know I was going to do it until I did it."

Scorpius just smiled back and nodded. He reached over and intertwined his fingers into Albus's; his thumb rubbing Albus's index slowly. Both were silent for a long time, staring at their interlaced fingers and listening to each other's breathing. Until Scorpius said, "So… We're gay. Huh. Never thought that statement would ever come out of my mouth."

"Same here. But we can't tell anyone."

"Of course. They'd eat us up alive. Especially our dads." Scorpius stared off into space, thinking about how his dad would react if he knew Scorpius was gay.

"But, we can at least keep it a secret for a little while." Albus said. Scorpius nodded and leaned over to kiss Albus again.

Rose Weasley was seething where she stood. She was hidden behind a pole in the corridor, and she could see Albus and Scorpius, seated on the ground, snogging. She was not happy. Not happy at all.


	7. Chapter 7

Christmas vacation came faster than either of the two boys could believe. They had spent so much time and energy into having a relationship, but keeping said relationship a secret from the thousands of other students at Hogwarts was exhausting. So when the chance to stay in an almost empty Hogwarts together came, both of them jumped at the opportunity to stay at school over the holidays.

As soon as everyone else had gone home, Albus and Scorpius could relax. They had a whole dorm room to themselves, so most of their time was spent curled up together in front of the fire drinking hot cocoa and telling stories. But what they were looking forward to most was their day in Hogsmead that they'd convinced Professor Weasley to OK for them.

The morning of their trip was cold and light snow flurries were dancing through the air. Albus wrapped his green and silver scarf tight around his neck and met Scorpius in the Grand Entryway, "Ready to go, Al?" Scorpius said. The nickname had become more than that; it'd become a bond.

"Always." Albus responded, smiling. And they walked along like normal kids, until they got out of sight of the school and Scorpius wound his fingers into Albus's. Albus blushed a deep red, but just squeezed the delicate fingers tighter, "So, we're alone and away from the other students, so what are we going to do with our time?"

"Well," Scorpius thought for a bit as they picked their way slowly through the snow, "I thought we'd go to Honeydukes, then maybe Zonkos, and then Three Broomsticks to pick up some butterbeer for a surprise later tonight."

Albus smiled, "Sounds nice to me." And they headed in the direction of Honeydukes.

The sweet shop was warm and smelled like melted sugar and butter; Albus took a deep breath and let the warmth of the shop and the pleasant feeling of Scorpius's company wash over him. Scorpius released his hand and wandered over to the sugar quills and chocolate frogs; obviously trying hard to decide which one he wanted. Albus leaned against the doorframe and watched the blond boy peruse the sweets; his ash-grey eyes flicked from one item to the next and his lean fingers touched the wrappers gently, "Al!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly; snapping Albus out of his reverie, "Come here." He grabbed Albus by the wrist and dragged the messy black haired boy over to the chocolate frogs display.

"What, what?" Albus asked, trying to keep his voice level. They had been dating for a long time, but Albus still felt like he was being electrocuted when he touched Scorpius.

"Look," the blond pointed at the case, "Your dad's in the chocolate frog cards now!"

Albus saw the ad for the newest card edition, and, sure enough, Harry Potter was smiling back at them. Albus smiled a little and said, "Let's buy one and see who we get!" So both the boys picked a chocolate frog box off the shelf and Scorpius insisted on paying for both. With chocolate frogs in hand, the boys went back out into the freezing cold of Hogsmead.

The two had a great day together, flirting and teasing and eating sweets. When the sun was starting to set, Scorpius slipped into the Three Broomsticks and bought a few bottles of butterbeer, and then they made their way back up to the castle to have dinner. The Great Hall was scarcely inhabited; the only kid Albus recognized was James at the Gryffindor table. But the food was still as delicious as usual and after they'd had their fill, Albus and Scorpius found themselves on the top of the Astronomy Tower, butterbeer in hand.

"It's nice up here," Albus commented as he looked out at the stars and took a swig of butterbeer, "But a little chilly."

Scorpius wrapped an arm around his boyfriend, "Don't worry, I'll keep you warm."

"That's a strange sentence for the ice prince that you are, Scorp."

Scorpius smiled playfully, "Can you melt the ice prince?" He whispered quietly in Albus's ear; his breath was hot and sweet and it sent shivers down Albus's spine. Scorpius leaned in: his lips met Albus's and his fingers knotted into the black mop of hair.

Albus felt like he could explode, the electricity inside him was making him dizzy. But he liked the odd 'buzzy' feeling he had, so he just kissed Scorpius back harder. Soon they were full on snogging and Albus felt like nothing could stop them from staying like that forever. Nothing except the door flying open and James Potter standing shocked and disoriented in the doorway. Albus threw Scorpius off him and faced his brother, "James?" He asked cautiously.

James was frozen to the spot, his eyes flicking from Albus to Scorpius, then back to Albus. The whole tower was silent as death, before James asked in a small, very blank voice, "What are you doing, Albus?"


	8. Chapter 8

Albus was frozen where he was and he didn't know what to say except, "Um, James… Uh… Can we speak for a moment?" And he pulled his older brother out into the hallway, "James, I don't expect you to understand…" He had no idea what to say.

"Understand what? Understand that you're gay, or understand that you're gay with _Malfoy_?" James hissed, shaking his head of all confusing thoughts.

"Well, both, I guess." Albus was blushing a deep red, "But, this is kind of an important night and you're sorta ruining it."

"Oh," James's voice was dripping with sarcasm, "I'm sorry to have drug you away from Hannibal Lector over there who is trying to EAT YOUR FACE!" He gestured to Scorpius who was now inspecting the telescopes and trying to pretend he wasn't listening to their conversation.

"I knew you wouldn't understand." Albus was hurt, "Look, I don't care if you hate me, or you think I'm a terrible person now that you know who I am and who I'm dating, because I like who I am and who I'm dating. So if you can't accept me, then just leave me alone."

"Al, I don't hate you," James softened and put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "I just need to time to process. I mean, my younger sister is now a Goth and my younger brother just came out of the closet with the biggest battering ram I've ever seen. I could never hate you, I just… don't get it in the same way you do."

Albus nodded and looked away from James, "I know." He muttered.

"And now," James said with an evil glint in his eye, "Time to have some fun with this." He strode into the room and before Albus could catch him, he said to Scorpius, "So, is that your natural hair color or do you dye it? Do you read muggle chick magazines for fashion advice? Do you like to gossip while you get your nails done?"

Scorpius didn't even look up from the telescope he was looking into while he said, "I'm bisexual, not a movie character. Plus, I'm the guy in this relationship."

Both Albus and James's jaws dropped, "Excuse me?" Albus said, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Oh c'mon, Al," Scorpius straightened up and looked him in the eye, "Did you really think you were the guy?"

"Well, I'm most certainly not the girl."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not!"

Scorpius walked over and kissed him lightly on the lips, "Yes you are."

Albus sighed, "Yeah, I am." And he kissed Scorpius again.

James reeled backward and yelled, "AH! NOT COOL!" Then he tripped over one of the Astronomy benches and fell to the ground.

Scorpius went over to where the auburn haired boy was lying and, without helping him up, said, "Don't tell anyone about this, or there will be undesirable consequences." Then Scorpius walked over and took Albus by the hand, "I believe we were in the middle of a date before we were interrupted. I vote we go finish it somewhere else." He smiled.

Albus nodded and let Scorpius lead the way, "Am I really a girl?"

"Albus, you're not A girl, you're THE girl. It just means you're sweeter, more sensitive, and I have to work harder to please you." Scorpius explained.

"That's true." Albus said and he put his arms around Scorpius and hugged him tight, "Don't ever let go of me."

"Never." Scorpius whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

Albus sat down at the Slytherin breakfast table a week after the incident with James and he began to tear into his eggs and bacon. Scorpius sat down next to him and looped his fingers into Al's under the table. Albus blushed a bright pink and whispered, "Scorp, what are you doing?"

"Oh please," Scorpius said casually between mouthfuls of bacon, "No one will see, I could do whatever I want." He gave Albus's leg a squeeze to emphasize his point. Albus jumped out of his skin and let out a squeak, "Ok, maybe not," Scorpius went back to eating.

Albus squeezed his boyfriend's hand and said, "So, when are we going to tell our parents?"

Scorpius choked on his food, "WHAT? Who says we're going to tell them?"

"Scorp," Albus clapped him on the back to help him stop choking, "We have to. If we don't want to hide this anymore, and have a normal relationship, we have to start with our parents."

"Do you know how badly my father will kill me?" Scorpius went back to eating. Even in times of dispute, nothing could stand between him and his bacon.

"I know, but don't you think it'd be better to just get it out in the open?" Albus said.

Before Scorpius could answer, however, Rose Weasley stood up on her house table and yelled for everyone to be quiet. The Great Hall stopped talking and turned to face her, "Now," She started, "I said I'd get revenge, so revenge I shall get. I feel like you all have the right to know about a relationship that has been going on right under our noses." The murmurs echoed across the Great Hall and Albus turned white as a sheet. Both he and his boyfriend were frozen in place, "These two broke some hearts on the way, and this one," She pointed to herself, "Isn't going to sit back and take it. These two don't want to be found out, but I think all of you want to know!" The whole hall yelled out a collective 'yes' and Rose said, "It's Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy!"

Everyone turned to look at the two, who were frozen to their seats. Albus was aware of the blush forming in his cheeks and Scorpius whispered, "shit" under his breath.

Both stood and took off running. They ran from the silent hall and kept running until they reached the Forbidden Forest. They collapsed on the ground next to a tree and caught their breath, "Why did she do that?" Albus asked.

"To get back at me." Scorpius said as he leaned back against the tree.

To make matters worse, Professor Longbottom was making his way across the school lawn towards them, "Boys, I saw what just happened," He sat down next to them.

"We don't want to talk about it, Professor." Scorpius said, crossing his arms and looking away defiantly.

"She shouldn't have done that." Albus whispered.

"I know, Albus. But it happened, so what are you going to do about it?"

"Tee-pee the Gryffindor girls' bathroom?" Scorpius asked.

Longbottom laughed, "No. however entertaining that would be, that's not the answer. I think you need to tell your parents now."

"Not happening." Scorpius huffed.

"Yes, happening." Albus argued.

"Al!" Scorpius whined, but stopped when he saw the look on Albus's face, "Why?"

"Because they won't kill you," The professor said, "They love you and they should probably know."

Scorpius just nodded and silence fell over the grounds. Professor Longbottom excused himself and Albus laid his head on Scorpius's shoulder once he'd gone. It was quiet for a bit before Albus said, "They do love us. And if your dad doesn't accept it, then screw him."

Scorpius laughed, "How about screw you instead?"

Albus gave him a shove, "Watch your language!"

Both the boys started laughing and decided to tell their parents over spring break.


	10. Chapter 10

Ginny was sitting next to Harry, who was sitting next to Draco, who was sitting next to Astoria. None of them knew why they were there, except that their sons, Albus Severus Potter and Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, called a family meeting.  
>The two 16 year-olds, friends since year 1, were getting more and more nervous. Albus was pacing outside the door to the room that the two sets of parents were in, trying his hardest to keep up his nerve, "This is <em>not <em>a good idea."  
>"Chill." Scorpius said cooly, examining himself in a near-by mirror. They decided to call this meeting at Malfoy Manor in order to tell their family about their new 'situation', "It has to be done, so we might as well get it over-with."<br>Albus sighed and, mustering up all his courage, swung open the door. Harry and Ginny and Draco and Astoria were all sitting in awkward silence, not looking at the other couple and not speaking. But when the two boys came in, they all turned their attention forward. "Hi, everyone." Albus said awkwardly.  
>"Why are we here, darling?" Ginny asked, slightly concerned.<br>"Well," Scorpius, the braver of the two, stepped forward, "There's no easy way to say this, but, we're gay. Both of us. And we're kinda together." He reached for Albus's trembling hand and wove their fingers together.  
>The four parents were stunned. Then, Ginny spoke, "It's OK, Al, we still love you."<br>Astoria nodded and said, "Agreed."  
>But the two fathers, the two people the boys were worried about most, were still silent, "Dad?" Scorpius asked, suddenly becoming nervous.<br>Draco didn't move. HE was still processing. Harry, on the other hand, started to laugh. He started out quiet, then gradually got louder and louder, until he was doubled over from laughter. Draco whipped his hand around to Harry, "POTTER!" He roared, then tackled Harry out of his seat.  
>The two grown men hit the floor with a thud and were rolling over each other across the room, Harry still laughing, and Draco repeated the phrase, "I'm gonna kill you , Harry!" over and over.<br>Astoria just rolled her eyes and she and Ginny shared a 'our stupid husbands' look. Draco had ended up on top of Harry, pinning his arms above his head and pulling back to punch him in the still laughing face, but then all of a sudden, he paused. Realization washed over him and he suddenly looked up at his son, "Scorpius, you're telling Grandpa Malfoy. NOT me."

*2 weeks later*

Lucius Malfoy was sitting in the den at Malfoy Manor, his grandson seated across from him. He placed his hands on his silver snake-head cane, and leaned forward, "Well, Scorpius, you had something to tell me?"

THE END!


End file.
